Networking Strategies That Will Get You Noticed by the Airlines

Networking is one of the few things you can do for your aviation career that is free and can begin on day one.

Sam Weigel

Friday, February 03, 2023 at 02:30 PM ET

Verified

Networking plays an important role in airline hiring, Sam Weigel explains. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Networking is crucial for career advancement in aviation, as it can help secure interviews, open doors to opportunities, and even allow candidates to bypass typical hiring requirements.
Despite current pilot shortages, networking remains vital for distinguishing oneself, gaining valuable industry insights, and making informed career decisions, as market conditions are subject to change.
Effective networking involves being friendly, actively engaging with industry professionals, asking questions, collecting contact information, and consistently following up, ideally starting early in one's career.
Recommendations from individuals who have firsthand experience flying with an applicant, such as check airmen or professional contacts from shared flights, hold particular weight with prospective employers.

See a mistake? Contact us.

In early 2004, I was a newly-married freight dog flying single-pilot Part 135 for Ameriflight. A longtime colleague had just perished in a crash while covering my sometimes-hazardous route up California’s Owens Valley. I decided to redouble my efforts to get hired at a Part 121 airline.

This being a few years after 9/11, the majors were all in pretty tough shape, and even the growing regionals could still be very selective about who they hired. My airline of choice was Horizon Air, then the best-paying regional ($28/hour during the first year!), but they were notoriously choosy, and so far, my efforts to land an interview had gone unrewarded.